Mining CS Kazungu Kambi. He has blamed NASA after Kenya lost bid to host International Colored Gemstone Association congress. [Photo: capitalfm.co.ke]NASA coalition has once again been blamed after Kenya lost a bid to host the 2019 International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) Congress.Mining CS Dan Kazungu has said the hosting rights for the multi-million mining conference was cancelled following the political unrest in the country.The ICA Congress that is held after two years has now been moved to Bangkok in Thailand, reports the Star newspaper.This comes barely two weeks after UNAIDS cancelled Kenya's hosting of a Global Prevention Coalition Meeting scheduled for Nairobi between October 10-11.On Monday, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) cancelled the launch of the Global Education Monitoring report that was to be unveiled in Nairobi citing political tensions.Kenya also lost the rights to host the 2018 African Nation Championship. Kazungu said the event was the first of its kind to be hosted in  Africa."The congress has never been held in Africa before. We were very well prepared to host the event in 2019 but because of the current political shortcomings, the organisers have dropped the deal," Kazungu said on Thursday as quoted by the Star.He added: "It is sad to lose such an investment conference that could have busted our mining industry. The conference is of the same magnitude with the world cup tournament because it comprises of more than 50 countries that are practising mining and exploration activities," the CS added.Kazungu spoke while meeting small-scale miners forum in Voi, Taita Taveta County.NASA has been staging weekly demos across the country calling for reforms in the electoral body before the October 26 repeat presidential election. It I threatening to make the demos a daily affair beginning next week.

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